This article describes the rise of abstracted religious beliefs in larger, more anonymous societies and investigates whether societal density and differentiation have had similar effects on ritual. The authors suggest that the universalization of ritual is due in part to interrelated effects of population size, political hierarchy, economic division of labor, and monetary exchange, all factors that create anonymity in society.

This article empirically tests the Durkheimian theory that different types of rites and the elaboration of public rituals are associated with social density. Analysis indicates that social density is negatively associated with the occurrence of crisis rites and positively associated with the occurrence of calendrical rites and ritual elaboration. Additional findings suggest that social density is a better predictor of ritual activity than political hierarchy or the division of labor.

This paper, the first cross-cultural study published in 1889 (reprinted here) asserts that tabulation and classification are important methodological tools to study anthropological subjects. The author investigates the development of institutions of marriage and descent, tabulating data on residence, descent, kinship terminology, wife capture, and exogamy.

In an effort to better understand variation in jealous response cross-culturally, the researchers of this study surveyed 11 different populations, eight of which were small-scale societies on five different continents (Mayangna, Shuar, Tsimane, Himba, Hadza, Karo Batak, Mosuo, and Yasawa) and three of which were in urban settings (Los Angeles, CA, "urban India" (online), and Okinawa, Japan). Looking at the differences between sexual and emotional infidelity, researchers found that greater paternal investment and lower frequency of extramarital sex are associated with more severe jealous response.

This study focuses on the effect of type of warfare and community intermarriage on women's participation in warfare.

This article focuses on the cross-cultural data comparing the relationship between changes in status and availability of important roles, with an emphasis on women. Cultural and structural aspects of society are examined to discover their relationship to the position of women after their child-bearing years.

This study investigates the relationship between Crow kinship terminology and avunculocality. Results indicate that if matrilateral cross-cousin marriage is associated with Crow kinship systems, then societies that are avunculocal are more likely have Crow systems.

This study posits that dowry is a recent historical development, and that cultural complexity is a necessary but not sufficient cause for its emergence. Comparisons of frequencies support these claims.

This article explores the relationship between social stratification and control hierarchies, defined as "command-obedience relationships" within economic, political, religious, military, and familial institutions. Results indicate a positive association.

This article examines the evolution of games, particularly the way the complexity of games is affected by political organization, demographics, social differentiation, and religious differentiation.